Born and raised in the Redlands of Oklahoma and Louisiana respectively, Kose and Earv were naturally inspired to call the music duo they would go on to form “The RedLand”. But once their individual forms of expression crossed paths and began to meld into a dynamic sound that they considered a “state of mind” and a “voice that brings people together,” The RedLand transcended the reference of simply being where they’re from to becoming an all-inclusive artistic movement. Earv and Kose, whose collective influences run the gamut from John Lennon and Bob Marley to The Fugees and OutKast (artists known for their culture-shifting musical contributions), met while matriculated at Morehouse college in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta – which they’ve also adopted as part of their origins – and the Southern Hip Hop culture that defined it became fertile ground for the two, individually, to more deeply explore their musical talents. Then those talents collided. Through either happenstance or fate, it was discovered while in the midst of hanging out with mutual friends that Earv had an affinity for writing and Kose was a capable vocalist and producer. So, the pair decided to play around with creating music together. But what began as playful experimentation turned into production of a unique and compelling sound that deserved to be taken more seriously.

Defined as Hip Hop for practical purposes, Earv’s and Kose’s conscious lyrics and hybrid sound – which seamlessly incorporates the myriad genres they were exposed to growing up – began to take on a life of its own. They began hearing their music played by friends and strangers and seeing it gaining momentum on social networking sites without their intervention. That and the realization that Hip Hop as they saw it was stuck in one gear, hitting the same “I’m richer, can get drunker and can have more sex than you” note is when they began seeing their contribution to the art form as more of a responsibility than “having fun.” Things took off from there and The RedLand officially became a “Hip Hop movement born out of the soil,” representing those who desired to hear and be heard.
“We want the fans to feel they’re a part of this inclusive group and they have a say in our direction and the type of music we make,” they said. “We also try to look at ourselves honestly and really get that across to our audience. We don’t let the genre define us, we define our own music and we’re just ourselves. We feel like we have something to say, something to make an impact and we feel like it’s something that’s needed.